Wild Edibles

Wild blueberries are much smaller and not as sweet as store-bought ones, but they are, nevertheless, a real treat for those of who delight in searching for wild edibles.

With its lance-like leaves that have a touch of white and its dainty white blooms that have a touch of pinkish purple, the three-to-five foot herb mountain mint lights up the edge of Blue Ridge forests.

Of the four Rubus species in these mountains, the raspberry is the first to ripen, sometimes as early as mid-June.

Fragaria virginiana is one of the first plants to bloom in these mountains, thus supplying a wide variety of bees, butterflies, and moths with an important source of pollen and nectar.

Land cress looks much like watercress with its small square leaves and also has a similar peppery or mustard-like taste.